Please share your thoughts regarding selection on the Module 4 Continuing Conversation page, here (not the Discussion tab above). Which site did you select? Why?
Please comment on one other person's post on the this page and let's see how the selection process unfolded. Please check periodically to see if you have questions or comments posted to you.
RAQUEL writes... I find both Mixbooks and Storybird fantastic. It is definitely a resource to be used with my Elementary students. I've been working on a project with my 5th graders about Special Kids. They have a chance to learn about them, do research, meet them and then write about their experience and make a presentation. I think it would be a great way to present it. Also, I've been working with them on making materials that would help the Special Kids learn better. In the past, we've used Power Point, now we'll start using Storybird. I am sure it will be of great help for the Special Kids Center and my students will benefit very much from it as well. It is a more powerful tool, attractive, fun and creative. We will start using it soon... will let you know how it goes.
Wonderful! Wouldn't it be fabulous if the children could write stories collaboratively? Technology can provide a common ground, a meeting place, for the children to collaborate and share their stories. I hope you will post them for us to see! Donna
Iliana olvera writes: I chose Mixbooks because it is very creative. In the next semester, my Biology students will do a project based in the Animal kingdom. They describe the defining features of each animal and look for images of each animal. For this project they work with a power point presentation. I will apply this resource because this will allow them to use more technology and synthesize information. I created this Mixbookhttp://www.mixbook.com/editor/5043973?fs=1 Iliana, When I visited the link it displayed an invitation to collaborate on the project, but I could not view the project...Donna
Silvia Ocampo writes: In my technology class, digital storytelling targets many objectives. Students can demonstrate their abilities using multimedia tools. In the past, I designed a project: animated stories where they used their abilities in Power point. With these new powerful technologies, storytelling becomes more attractive and students can work independently. I will start using kerpoof.com with my younger students. A month ago, I showed it to my nine years old daughter and she learned to use it very soon. I will use storybird.com with the fourth and fifth grades adapting my old project.
Silvia, Would you please share information about this resource kerpoof? How did you discover it and how will you use it? What do you like about it? Is it appropriate for other subjects and/or grades? Donna
Silvia Ocampo writes: I found kerpoof.com when I start collecting new online resources for our web 2.0 tools wiki: web 2.0 tools directory and applications I used this great web applications index go2web20 to locate digital storytelling products. The thing that I liked the most is that I can I use this resource for all my students in Elementary. I can start teaching basic skills with 1st graders and incorporating new skills and abilities to each grade level.
Students can start designing a simple card or developing more complex stories and movies. You can create accounts for students and they can share opinions. I think kerpoof.com is a great tool for creative writing. If you like comics, you will enjoy it. Wonderful! What a great way to start digital storytelling with young students. Thank you for sharing your resources! Has anyone else used kerpoof? Donna
Perla Zamora writes: I use to start my 7th grade "Computer's Networks" lesson by guiding a "photo scavenger hunt". We go around the school looking for different computer networks components, such as access point, router, switch, server, etc. Students should identify each componnet and take pictures using cellphones or digital cameras. I would like to use a mixbook to organize all the pictures illustrating data flow through School Computer Network. I think is a great way to present and share students' discoveries.
Monica Gochicoa writes: Perla's lesson gave me a great idea for having my students produce a mixbook. I also have my students go around campus taking pictures of the different forms of energy around us. They have usually just presented these images with captions through power point. I plan to have them do a mixbook at the end of the year (as our 9th grade Physical Science curriculum is all about the different forms of energy) where they can thoroughly describe and apply what they learned through the year to their surroundings. At first I though that using storytelling in Science wouldn't be easy to implement, but just for this particular topic I think they could give it the twist of "the story of energy around me", where they could show the energy transformations that have lead to what they are actually doing.
Telling a digital story can include facts as well as fantasy. Using the story format allows students to apply knowledge. The limitations of space encourage them to synthesize information and to write succinctly while creating or selecting pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. to support their "story". I have worked with comics for digital storytelling for just over a year now, and the power of the format is amazing. Students create comics that perfectly illustrate concepts and scenes, experiences and events. Words combined with images can be powerful storytelling devices. For me, it was a matter of changing perspective and using the digital storytelling format as a powerful tool for learning that reaches all types of learners. The most wonderful part was when a teacher told me that using this project she was amazed by work that certain students produced, as these were students she had not heard from very much at all throughout the year. Fascinating. Donna
This sounds like fun Perla! I think many teachers would enjoy taking the tour as well! The pictures could also compliment text that names each component and explains the function. The students could build pages and create a book collaboratively to share their knowledge with teachers and parents through their mixbook. Donna
I am not sure if you are familiar with TED, ideas worth spreading...a site that features some of the most amazing people on the planet who share their ideas in brief presentations. I thought I would share one site with you that ties in to digital storytelling, but as usually happens when I visit the TED site, I can't just get what I am looking for and jump out. As a result, I will share two videos with you here.
The first is Adora Svitak who published her first book at age 7 presents her ideas about learning as play at the age of 12. (8+ minutes)
Msmarthalaura writes:
Next week, some of my students are presenting with Prezi....I can't wait to share this video with them to raise their expectations! Thanks for sharing, Donna! I am so pleased you find this useful and think that your students will be inspired by Adora's presentation (and personality). I thought it was great that she used a Prezi! In case others are not familiar, you can explore a Prezi Edu license for free or fee at http://prezi.com/profile/signup/edu/ Donna
The second is Frans Lanting, a renowned photographer, who shares a powerful presentation that uses awe-inspiring photography and succinct narration blended with subtle music to create a profound digital story. (16+ minutes)
I just created my first mixbook- I am learning about so many new things through these modules. I started very simple. I added some stickers, changed backgrounds and changed fonts. I looked at many of the created mixbooks and noticed only one about math (which is what I teach). I used it as a defintion book- nothing fancy. I am curious if any other math teachers are doing this study and how they would use it. I would use it with my six grade in the spring when we do our geometry lesson- a great way to have them be creative while they learn either definitions or formulas.
Question for Silvia: you said you used it last month with your daughter. Had you already used it with your classes? If so, how did it go? I was thinking students would learn it quickly.
Silvia Ocampo writes: No, yet,but I am optimistic to catch my students´ curiosity. About your geometry lesson I have an idea for you that it might work. A few years ago I helped a math teacher designing a geometry project. I think you can adapt her idea: http://www.ats.edu.mx/proyectos/socampo/geometry.htm
Wow! Learning fun??? What great news! I am so excited to learn that you have created your first mixbook! Would you care to share it Elizabeth? How about a book that applies math to real life situations (in answer to the proverbial question "why do we have to learn this?"). Donna
I think I made it public- like I said nothing fancy. I was going to sign up for the computer room to try and have the students do it before Christmas break. WIsh me luck!
I hope you will post any mixbooks that you create and make public here so that we can all take a look at how you implemented the mixbook in math and integrated technology in project based learning! Donna
Monica Gochicoa writes:
I've been finding all of these resources very attractive. I chose to do a mixbook because I feel it could be more attractive for my 9th grade students. I had already done something similar to it with iphoto from apple but I think this resource gives you many more options to work with. I will also use it for personal purposes. The themes for family pictures, travel, and occasions are great!
iphoto is a great software application for digital storytelling for those with Macs. I hope that mixbook will provide students with another opportunity to share their knowledge and ideas in a creative format. Donna
Yvonnne Mendoza writes:
Monica I am going to use your real life picture idea for the beginning of the school year, I think is a good way for students to introduce themselves to the class. I am sure everyone else will enjoy the novelty. We can even post them so parents can enjoy them too. A lovely way to make the home and school connection! Donna
Silvia Albo writes:
Mixbook was very interesting resorce, it looks very attractive. I think a can use it with my 8th grade students. They can create a book with the different literary times: Realism, Romanticism, Baroque, ect. What fun! Will you have them create digital stories from the historical perspective or centered in the different time periods? Will students work independently or in teams or pairs? Terrific possibilities!!! Donna
Msmarthalaura writes:
I just created my first Mixbook, ait was about the Expropiación Petrolera, and I find it great for using in my Historia de Mexico classes. I couldn´t stop pasting stickers...it was fun! Like Silvia says, digital storytelling becomes more attractive for students, and it gives them a break from the Power Point Presentation. It was also great to know that if students are proud of their work they can share it or print it. The idea of collaborative work it´s also very useful.
This is the link to the one I've just created: http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/education/expropiacion-petrolera-5009316
Thanks, Martha Laura.
Oh my goodness, more fun?!? We may just put the joy back into learning again...combine that with a sense of wonder and we will create exciting opportunities for teaching and learning! I agree with Martha Laura and Silvia, it is a nice break from PowerPoint and providing students with the opportunity to share their work with a larger audience encourages thoughtful participation. I am off to take a look at Martha Laura's mixbook. Thank you so much for sharing the link with us! Donna Martha Laura! I am speechless! What a beautiful, informative book you have created! I love the way you used primary source documents to tell the story along with minimal text. Such a professional presentation. Beautiful! Just beautiful! You will have to tell us what your students think of your Mixbook. Donna
The story bird website provides a great resource for special needs learners VISUALS a key to there learning that is often forgotten. I will be using this to help my students improve their writing skills. Who posted this WONDERFUL post please? Many of us are visual learners in a very audio type of learning environment.Donna Perla Zamora writes:
I hadn't seen these videos, they are amazing, such as powerful words and ideas. Thank you for sharing Donna, I really appreciate the new window that you are oppening for us :) I am so pleased that you find these resources meaningful Perla! The TED site is a treasure trove filled with interesting, thought provoking speakers that one might not have access to otherwise. The videos are free and the idea is to share them...what better way then in teaching and learning? The presenters demonstrate life-long learning, passion, and achievement. I hope that you find even more ideas to spread when searching the TED site. Donna
Yvonne Mendoza writes:
My fourth grade class is working with new strategies for reading comprehension. Among several, I am using Literature Circles at the present. I think I will use Mixbook to enrich their reading comprenhension and as a tool for the culminating activity of the novel instead of a standard book report. I think my students will find this more exciting and enjoyable. It is a new way to introduce the technology era in classroom learning.
What a great idea! So many great ideas! I believe we could create our own library with these projects! I hope you will consider posting any of these projects when they are completed if they are publicly displayed. Donna
Lourdes Gonzalez writes:
As part of my 11t grade class final project on the Trigonometry class. My students had to do the following:
This project is designed to help you fully grasp the concept of using trigonometry to solve problems. This includes finding the length of a missing side or a missing angle of a right triangle, identifying these problems in everyday life, drawing them, calculating their values, and weaving it all into an interesting, amusing or creative story! Your task is to develop a story involving the missing angle or missing side of a right triangle. To support your story, you will need to carefully draw, use a photograph, a picture clipped from a magazine or downloaded from the Internet, illustrating the problem in your story. You will need to include all formulas and all of the steps required to come up with your answer for your story. If I knew about mixbook before I would have asked them to do it there. My students really enjoy this kind of projects in this subject. I have observed that students expect to solve either word problems or the regular exercises they do at achool and when this projects are assigned they get motivated and learn a lot from them. I would have them use mixbook which I think high school students will prefer. I am eager to show this to may students, I know they will really enjoy it.
How interesting! Creativity, thinking, application, synthesis, planning, time management, and right triangles! I wish I had been in your math class! Thank you so much for sharing your plans with us Lourdes! I hope you will share the link to the projects when they are completed! Donna Pily Gerez writes:
I have a couple of ideas that I would like to implement next semester with Digital Story telling. The first one will be a service learning project where students will make a digital story using StoryBird that would then be shared with a school I already contact in a rural area. The kids are learning English, very basic English so it will be a good idea to share a story made specially for them and shared by one of my students as if they were their pen pal, this would foster literacy and the students from the other school could benefit from this to learn English in an attractive way, the story could even include subtitles. For my leadership class, my students normally “follow” a leader throught the semester, reading articles about them, listening to the news, etc. A good way of bringing all of their knowledge about the leader together would be to have them write a digital story with pictures of the leader and narrating in 1st person their goals,vision, beliefs, accomplishments, and so on. I think for the digital stories storybird is perfect but I really enjoyed Mixbook. It is easy to use and can it is a tool we can exploit. The final product can be very attractive, this is an alternate option to what I usually use and I liked trying it. Martha Laura I liked your mixbook!! Nice job!! Perla..I saw your students working on the Scavenger Hunt..how did that go? Donna thanks for sharing the videos, Adora's video is funny but with great ideas
Fantastic ideas Pily! These projects exemplify 21st century skills including, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. I hope you will share the links to the projects if you are able! Donna Notes from Cath
I perferred Mixbook best I thought the available graphics were more applicable for older kids and not as babish as the others. In addition, in mixbook it seems easier to add your own images. I especially like the way the pages turn.
Ideas for use:
Holiday digtial cookbook (procedural writing)
Children's story or modern version of Romeo and Juliet (comprehension, identifying main ideas, summarizing, paraphrasing)
A new take on the beginning of the year rules and routinues could be made quite humorously so it sticks with them
I found the TED boring and therefore my students how have much less of an attention span would also find it boring. However I can suggest a site that I think does an awesome job of creating digital stories. It is bbcbitesize.co.uk Then pick a subject and look for videos. Some of my favourites are GCSE History on the causes of WWI and II. They have done a great job and they are ready to use and interactive.
Oh yeah, almost forgot Perla, I saw your idea about the photo scavenger hunt for IT parts and thought that was really clever been trying to figure out how I can use it ever since.
Cath
Thank you for sharing the additional resource Cath. Donna
Mary O'Neill writes:
I really liked Mixbooks -- I have a lunch book discussion w/ 5th graders. I'd like to use Mixbook as a way of promoting our bookclub in our school. Thanks!
So glad you found Mixbooks an effective way to integrate digital storytelling into your Book Club Mary!Donna
Maruca Using storytelling in my class will make my students more interested in the topics that I teach. For example I would ask them to create a digital storytelling about WWI. There is so much information about the war that they would be engaged in recreating the whole story; researching the life at the trenches, the new weapons used at the war, the participation of so many countries, bringing all alive in a digital story I think will be a success. Another thing that I could do is to make the students create their own war based on all the war they have studied in an interactive story. Come with a plot that would include countries, weapons, strategies of war, etc. Absolutism would be also a good topic to create a digital story. I used power point for many years. This past month I ask them to do a tour of Palace of Versailles using Prezi presentation. Next year I will definitely ask them to create a digital story.
Mixbook is what suits best for me. Easy to read, can include any kind of pictures, the type design is better for a historical event.
Terrific ideas for creatively demonstrating knowledge, application, synthesis, and communicating ideas! Donna
Edith I think Mixbook is easier to use than Power Point, students have more options to create and to design projects. It´s a good way to introduce a topic. I am glad you found mixbook easy to use! It seems to be the most popular format for use with older students. What age group will you work with? Which topic or curriculum area? I am glad you found it a useful teaching tool as well! Donna
Perla Zamora writes: Hello, I want to share my mixbook, I create it to be used like an example in my class, so my students have clear expectations. By the way, the pictures were taken around school campus by my students but they are designing the flow chart still, the mixbook will be a wrap up activity, we will finish in January, enjoy it!!! School Computer Network tour
Perla, I enjoyed learning about the components of a LAN! Love the way you integrated the photos and the tech to put the text and vocabulary in context! Thank you for sharing! Donna Sunflower writes:
I created a Storybird to as a basic model for a Kevin Henkes author study unit I teach. Here's the link: http://storybird.com/books/a-hairy-tale-2/?token=g9jn39. What fun Sunflower! Question: page 2, "wish complained"? Nicely composed with great supporting pictures! Thank you for sharing! Donna
Which site did you select? Why?
Please comment on one other person's post on the this page and let's see how the selection process unfolded. Please check periodically to see if you have questions or comments posted to you.
RAQUEL writes...I find both Mixbooks and Storybird fantastic. It is definitely a resource to be used with my Elementary students. I've been working on a project with my 5th graders about Special Kids. They have a chance to learn about them, do research, meet them and then write about their experience and make a presentation. I think it would be a great way to present it. Also, I've been working with them on making materials that would help the Special Kids learn better. In the past, we've used Power Point, now we'll start using Storybird. I am sure it will be of great help for the Special Kids Center and my students will benefit very much from it as well. It is a more powerful tool, attractive, fun and creative. We will start using it soon... will let you know how it goes.
Wonderful! Wouldn't it be fabulous if the children could write stories collaboratively? Technology can provide a common ground, a meeting place, for the children to collaborate and share their stories. I hope you will post them for us to see! Donna
Iliana olvera writes:
I chose Mixbooks because it is very creative. In the next semester, my Biology students will do a project based in the Animal kingdom. They describe the defining features of each animal and look for images of each animal. For this project they work with a power point presentation. I will apply this resource because this will allow them to use more technology and synthesize information. I created this Mixbookhttp://www.mixbook.com/editor/5043973?fs=1
Iliana, When I visited the link it displayed an invitation to collaborate on the project, but I could not view the project...Donna
Silvia Ocampo writes:
In my technology class, digital storytelling targets many objectives. Students can demonstrate their abilities using multimedia tools. In the past, I designed a project: animated stories where they used their abilities in Power point. With these new powerful technologies, storytelling becomes more attractive and students can work independently. I will start using kerpoof.com with my younger students. A month ago, I showed it to my nine years old daughter and she learned to use it very soon.
I will use storybird.com with the fourth and fifth grades adapting my old project.
Silvia, Would you please share information about this resource kerpoof? How did you discover it and how will you use it? What do you like about it? Is it appropriate for other subjects and/or grades? Donna
Silvia Ocampo writes:
I found kerpoof.com when I start collecting new online resources for our web 2.0 tools wiki: web 2.0 tools directory and applications I used this great web applications index go2web20 to locate digital storytelling products. The thing that I liked the most is that I can I use this resource for all my students in Elementary. I can start teaching basic skills with 1st graders and incorporating new skills and abilities to each grade level.
Students can start designing a simple card or developing more complex stories and movies. You can create accounts for students and they can share opinions. I think kerpoof.com is a great tool for creative writing. If you like comics, you will enjoy it.
Wonderful! What a great way to start digital storytelling with young students. Thank you for sharing your resources! Has anyone else used kerpoof? Donna
Perla Zamora writes:
I use to start my 7th grade "Computer's Networks" lesson by guiding a "photo scavenger hunt". We go around the school looking for different computer networks components, such as access point, router, switch, server, etc. Students should identify each componnet and take pictures using cellphones or digital cameras. I would like to use a mixbook to organize all the pictures illustrating data flow through School Computer Network. I think is a great way to present and share students' discoveries.
Monica Gochicoa writes:
Perla's lesson gave me a great idea for having my students produce a mixbook. I also have my students go around campus taking pictures of the different forms of energy around us. They have usually just presented these images with captions through power point. I plan to have them do a mixbook at the end of the year (as our 9th grade Physical Science curriculum is all about the different forms of energy) where they can thoroughly describe and apply what they learned through the year to their surroundings. At first I though that using storytelling in Science wouldn't be easy to implement, but just for this particular topic I think they could give it the twist of "the story of energy around me", where they could show the energy transformations that have lead to what they are actually doing.
Telling a digital story can include facts as well as fantasy. Using the story format allows students to apply knowledge. The limitations of space encourage them to synthesize information and to write succinctly while creating or selecting pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. to support their "story". I have worked with comics for digital storytelling for just over a year now, and the power of the format is amazing. Students create comics that perfectly illustrate concepts and scenes, experiences and events. Words combined with images can be powerful storytelling devices. For me, it was a matter of changing perspective and using the digital storytelling format as a powerful tool for learning that reaches all types of learners. The most wonderful part was when a teacher told me that using this project she was amazed by work that certain students produced, as these were students she had not heard from very much at all throughout the year. Fascinating. Donna
This sounds like fun Perla! I think many teachers would enjoy taking the tour as well! The pictures could also compliment text that names each component and explains the function. The students could build pages and create a book collaboratively to share their knowledge with teachers and parents through their mixbook. Donna
I am not sure if you are familiar with TED, ideas worth spreading...a site that features some of the most amazing people on the planet who share their ideas in brief presentations. I thought I would share one site with you that ties in to digital storytelling, but as usually happens when I visit the TED site, I can't just get what I am looking for and jump out. As a result, I will share two videos with you here.
The first is Adora Svitak who published her first book at age 7 presents her ideas about learning as play at the age of 12. (8+ minutes)
http://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak.html
Msmarthalaura writes:
Next week, some of my students are presenting with Prezi....I can't wait to share this video with them to raise their expectations! Thanks for sharing, Donna!
I am so pleased you find this useful and think that your students will be inspired by Adora's presentation (and personality). I thought it was great that she used a Prezi! In case others are not familiar, you can explore a Prezi Edu license for free or fee at http://prezi.com/profile/signup/edu/ Donna
The second is Frans Lanting, a renowned photographer, who shares a powerful presentation that uses awe-inspiring photography and succinct narration blended with subtle music to create a profound digital story. (16+ minutes)
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/frans_lanting_s_lyrical_nature_photos.html
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Msmarthalaura writes:
Wow! Speechless.
Elizabeth Capobianco writes:
I just created my first mixbook- I am learning about so many new things through these modules. I started very simple. I added some stickers, changed backgrounds and changed fonts. I looked at many of the created mixbooks and noticed only one about math (which is what I teach). I used it as a defintion book- nothing fancy. I am curious if any other math teachers are doing this study and how they would use it. I would use it with my six grade in the spring when we do our geometry lesson- a great way to have them be creative while they learn either definitions or formulas.
Question for Silvia: you said you used it last month with your daughter. Had you already used it with your classes? If so, how did it go? I was thinking students would learn it quickly.
Silvia Ocampo writes: No, yet,but I am optimistic to catch my students´ curiosity. About your geometry lesson I have an idea for you that it might work. A few years ago I helped a math teacher designing a geometry project. I think you can adapt her idea: http://www.ats.edu.mx/proyectos/socampo/geometry.htm
Wow! Learning fun??? What great news! I am so excited to learn that you have created your first mixbook! Would you care to share it Elizabeth? How about a book that applies math to real life situations (in answer to the proverbial question "why do we have to learn this?"). Donna
I think I made it public- like I said nothing fancy. I was going to sign up for the computer room to try and have the students do it before Christmas break. WIsh me luck!
I hope you will post any mixbooks that you create and make public here so that we can all take a look at how you implemented the mixbook in math and integrated technology in project based learning! Donna
Monica Gochicoa writes:
I've been finding all of these resources very attractive. I chose to do a mixbook because I feel it could be more attractive for my 9th grade students. I had already done something similar to it with iphoto from apple but I think this resource gives you many more options to work with. I will also use it for personal purposes. The themes for family pictures, travel, and occasions are great!
iphoto is a great software application for digital storytelling for those with Macs. I hope that mixbook will provide students with another opportunity to share their knowledge and ideas in a creative format. Donna
Yvonnne Mendoza writes:
Monica I am going to use your real life picture idea for the beginning of the school year, I think is a good way for students to introduce themselves to the class. I am sure everyone else will enjoy the novelty. We can even post them so parents can enjoy them too.
A lovely way to make the home and school connection! Donna
Silvia Albo writes:
Mixbook was very interesting resorce, it looks very attractive. I think a can use it with my 8th grade students. They can create a book with the different literary times: Realism, Romanticism, Baroque, ect.
What fun! Will you have them create digital stories from the historical perspective or centered in the different time periods? Will students work independently or in teams or pairs? Terrific possibilities!!! Donna
Msmarthalaura writes:
I just created my first Mixbook, ait was about the Expropiación Petrolera, and I find it great for using in my Historia de Mexico classes. I couldn´t stop pasting stickers...it was fun! Like Silvia says, digital storytelling becomes more attractive for students, and it gives them a break from the Power Point Presentation. It was also great to know that if students are proud of their work they can share it or print it. The idea of collaborative work it´s also very useful.
This is the link to the one I've just created: http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/education/expropiacion-petrolera-5009316
Thanks, Martha Laura.
Oh my goodness, more fun?!? We may just put the joy back into learning again...combine that with a sense of wonder and we will create exciting opportunities for teaching and learning! I agree with Martha Laura and Silvia, it is a nice break from PowerPoint and providing students with the opportunity to share their work with a larger audience encourages thoughtful participation. I am off to take a look at Martha Laura's mixbook. Thank you so much for sharing the link with us! Donna
Martha Laura! I am speechless! What a beautiful, informative book you have created! I love the way you used primary source documents to tell the story along with minimal text. Such a professional presentation. Beautiful! Just beautiful! You will have to tell us what your students think of your Mixbook. Donna
The story bird website provides a great resource for special needs learners VISUALS a key to there learning that is often forgotten. I will be using this to help my students improve their writing skills. Who posted this WONDERFUL post please? Many of us are visual learners in a very audio type of learning environment.Donna
Perla Zamora writes:
I hadn't seen these videos, they are amazing, such as powerful words and ideas. Thank you for sharing Donna, I really appreciate the new window that you are oppening for us :)
I am so pleased that you find these resources meaningful Perla! The TED site is a treasure trove filled with interesting, thought provoking speakers that one might not have access to otherwise. The videos are free and the idea is to share them...what better way then in teaching and learning? The presenters demonstrate life-long learning, passion, and achievement. I hope that you find even more ideas to spread when searching the TED site. Donna
Yvonne Mendoza writes:
My fourth grade class is working with new strategies for reading comprehension. Among several, I am using Literature Circles at the present. I think I will use Mixbook to enrich their reading comprenhension and as a tool for the culminating activity of the novel instead of a standard book report. I think my students will find this more exciting and enjoyable. It is a new way to introduce the technology era in classroom learning.
What a great idea! So many great ideas! I believe we could create our own library with these projects! I hope you will consider posting any of these projects when they are completed if they are publicly displayed. Donna
Lourdes Gonzalez writes:
As part of my 11t grade class final project on the Trigonometry class. My students had to do the following:
This project is designed to help you fully grasp the concept of using trigonometry to solve problems. This includes finding the length of a missing side or a missing angle of a right triangle, identifying these problems in everyday life, drawing them, calculating their values, and weaving it all into an interesting, amusing or creative story!
Your task is to develop a story involving the missing angle or missing side of a right triangle. To support your story, you will need to carefully draw, use a photograph, a picture clipped from a magazine or downloaded from the Internet, illustrating the problem in your story. You will need to include all formulas and all of the steps required to come up with your answer for your story.
If I knew about mixbook before I would have asked them to do it there. My students really enjoy this kind of projects in this subject. I have observed that students expect to solve either word problems or the regular exercises they do at achool and when this projects are assigned they get motivated and learn a lot from them. I would have them use mixbook which I think high school students will prefer. I am eager to show this to may students, I know they will really enjoy it.
How interesting! Creativity, thinking, application, synthesis, planning, time management, and right triangles! I wish I had been in your math class! Thank you so much for sharing your plans with us Lourdes! I hope you will share the link to the projects when they are completed! Donna
Pily Gerez writes:
I have a couple of ideas that I would like to implement next semester with Digital Story telling. The first one will be a service learning project where students will make a digital story using StoryBird that would then be shared with a school I already contact in a rural area. The kids are learning English, very basic English so it will be a good idea to share a story made specially for them and shared by one of my students as if they were their pen pal, this would foster literacy and the students from the other school could benefit from this to learn English in an attractive way, the story could even include subtitles.
For my leadership class, my students normally “follow” a leader throught the semester, reading articles about them, listening to the news, etc. A good way of bringing all of their knowledge about the leader together would be to have them write a digital story with pictures of the leader and narrating in 1st person their goals,vision, beliefs, accomplishments, and so on.
I think for the digital stories storybird is perfect but I really enjoyed Mixbook. It is easy to use and can it is a tool we can exploit. The final product can be very attractive, this is an alternate option to what I usually use and I liked trying it.
Martha Laura I liked your mixbook!! Nice job!! Perla..I saw your students working on the Scavenger Hunt..how did that go? Donna thanks for sharing the videos, Adora's video is funny but with great ideas
Fantastic ideas Pily! These projects exemplify 21st century skills including, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. I hope you will share the links to the projects if you are able! Donna
Notes from Cath
I perferred Mixbook best I thought the available graphics were more applicable for older kids and not as babish as the others. In addition, in mixbook it seems easier to add your own images. I especially like the way the pages turn.
Ideas for use:
Holiday digtial cookbook (procedural writing)
Children's story or modern version of Romeo and Juliet (comprehension, identifying main ideas, summarizing, paraphrasing)
A new take on the beginning of the year rules and routinues could be made quite humorously so it sticks with them
I found the TED boring and therefore my students how have much less of an attention span would also find it boring. However I can suggest a site that I think does an awesome job of creating digital stories. It is bbcbitesize.co.uk Then pick a subject and look for videos. Some of my favourites are GCSE History on the causes of WWI and II. They have done a great job and they are ready to use and interactive.
Oh yeah, almost forgot Perla, I saw your idea about the photo scavenger hunt for IT parts and thought that was really clever been trying to figure out how I can use it ever since.
Cath
Thank you for sharing the additional resource Cath. DonnaMary O'Neill writes:
I really liked Mixbooks -- I have a lunch book discussion w/ 5th graders. I'd like to use Mixbook as a way of promoting our bookclub in our school. Thanks!
So glad you found Mixbooks an effective way to integrate digital storytelling into your Book Club Mary! DonnaMaruca
Using storytelling in my class will make my students more interested in the topics that I teach. For example I would ask them to create a digital storytelling about WWI. There is so much information about the war that they would be engaged in recreating the whole story; researching the life at the trenches, the new weapons used at the war, the participation of so many countries, bringing all alive in a digital story I think will be a success.
Another thing that I could do is to make the students create their own war based on all the war they have studied in an interactive story. Come with a plot that would include countries, weapons, strategies of war, etc.
Absolutism would be also a good topic to create a digital story. I used power point for many years. This past month I ask them to do a tour of Palace of Versailles using Prezi presentation. Next year I will definitely ask them to create a digital story.
Mixbook is what suits best for me. Easy to read, can include any kind of pictures, the type design is better for a historical event.
Terrific ideas for creatively demonstrating knowledge, application, synthesis, and communicating ideas! Donna
Edith
I think Mixbook is easier to use than Power Point, students have more options to create and to design projects. It´s a good way to introduce a topic.
I am glad you found mixbook easy to use! It seems to be the most popular format for use with older students. What age group will you work with? Which topic or curriculum area? I am glad you found it a useful teaching tool as well! Donna
Perla Zamora writes:
Hello, I want to share my mixbook, I create it to be used like an example in my class, so my students have clear expectations. By the way, the pictures were taken around school campus by my students but they are designing the flow chart still, the mixbook will be a wrap up activity, we will finish in January, enjoy it!!! School Computer Network tour
Perla, I enjoyed learning about the components of a LAN! Love the way you integrated the photos and the tech to put the text and vocabulary in context! Thank you for sharing! Donna
Sunflower writes:
I created a Storybird to as a basic model for a Kevin Henkes author study unit I teach. Here's the link: http://storybird.com/books/a-hairy-tale-2/?token=g9jn39.
What fun Sunflower! Question: page 2, "wish complained"? Nicely composed with great supporting pictures! Thank you for sharing! Donna